NASA Calls Igor 'Monstrous Hurricane'

by Live Science Staff | September 15, 2010 06:24am ET

A view of Hurricane Igor from NASA's Aqua satellite taken on Sept. 13. Igor shows all the characteristics of a strong hurricane, including a distinct eye and spiral arms spanning hundreds of kilometers.Credit: Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team at NASA GSFC

Igor's winds have weakened slightly, hitting a maximum of 145 mph (233 kph), but it remains a major Category 4 hurricane. While it's projected path is somewhat uncertain, it could make a direct hit on Bermuda in the next three or four days.

But even if it doesn't make a direct hit, Igor is so large that the
National Hurricane Center noted that Bermuda can be buffeted by winds
of hurricane-force or tropical storm-force on its current track.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward from the center of the storm up to
45 miles (72 km), while tropical-storm-force winds extend as far as 225
miles (362 km) from the storm's center.

Igor is accompanied by Hurricane Julia,
also a Category 4 hurricane, in the Atlantic, and Tropical Storm Karl
in the Gulf of Mexico, which made landfall at Mexico's Yucatan
Peninsula earlier today (Sept. 15). Julia is not expected to be a
threat to land, but Karl is expected to move over the Yucatan and back
out over the Gulf before hitting the coast of mainland Mexico.

Live Science Staff

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